The Rotten Apple In The Garden

The very first time I heard the name Stephon Marbury, I was looking at a Slam Magazine in a local grocery store. Marbury was a phenom from Brooklyn, New York that was getting ready for his freshman year at Georgia Tech. Watching highlight tapes and hearing stories from players that played with Marbury while at summer camps made me fall in love with his game. He easily became one of my favorite players(the other is Isaiah Thomas) and I continued to follow his career.

Since that time, it has been an up and down basketball career for Marbury. Although he's averaged 19.7 ppg and 7.8 apg for his career, Marbury has a cloud hanging over his head. The word has always been that he's a distracting selfish ball player who cannot run a team.

The latest on "Starbury" is his on-going battle with his teammates of the New York Knicks and head coach Mike D'Antoni. Last summer Donnie Walsh brought in the former Suns head coach to revive the Knicks team and bring life back into Madison Square Garden. It was supposed to be a great union between D'Antoni and the New York Knick organization. Marbury would be able to flourish within D'Antoni's run-and-gun offense because of his scoring and play making ability.

But this isn't the first time that Marbury has played in D'Antoni's run-and-gun offense. Back in the 2003-2004 season, Marbury and D'Antoni had a brief stint together in Phoenix. The coach and player didn't have the best relationship out in the desert and things wouldn't change in the Big Apple.

Intent on having a well run basketball team, D'Antoni brought in former Chicago Bull Chris Duhon to be the starting point guard for the Knicks.

When the NBA preseason got underway, Marbury was in an unfamiliar role that he's never faced in his basketball career. He came off the bench. Accepting his new role and playing spot minutes, Marbury knew that his days in New York were numbered.

As the NBA season started Marbury took on another new role, not playing...at all. You could see Marbury sitting at the end of the bench with his warmup on looking aimlessly at the crowd. There was no laughter or interaction with his teammates, just a "i don't care" expression that occasionally yawns because of boredom. His off the court incidents with teammates and coaches throughout his stay in New York left a bad taste in the Knicks front office and they had enough.

D'Antoni made it clear to everyone that there weren't going to be any minutes for Marbury in New York. But things would change when the Knicks traded guards Jamal Crawford, Mardy Collins and forward Zach Randolph. The Knicks were on the road in Milwaukee and short handed because players they traded for were not available. D'Antoni needed bodies, especially at the guard position. Mike D'Antoni came to Marbury and told him that there were 30-35 minutes of playing time available. According to D'Antoni, Marbury said that he "wasn't comfortable with the situation, and he did not want to play."

When asked about the meeting with D'Antoni, Marbury had different views. Marbury said that D'Antoni never told him that there were going to be minutes for him against the Bucks.

Marbury told the New York Post he taped his ankles in case he was needed. Marbury said "Refusing to play is when the coach tries to put you in the game and you say you're not going in." Marbury also told the New York Post "If he asked me to go into the game, I was going into the game. That's why I taped my ankles."

Marbury again refused to play in Detroit, leaving his Knicks teammates short handed. The level of frustration was at an all time high within the New York Knicks locker room and players started to speak out.

Quentin Richardson, who has been in altercations before with Marbury, voiced his frustration towards Marbury's refusal to play. According to ESPN.com, Richardson said "This is directed at us regardless if you're trying to stick it to whoever you're trying to stick it to." Richardson also said "At the end of the day we're shorthanded, people are hurt."

The Knicks lost both games that Marbury refused to play in.

Observing everything from his front office chair, Donnie Walsh had to make a decision. His entire organization became a circus as reporters swarmed the Garden with questions about the back and forth confrontation with Stephon Marbury. Walsh met with Marbury in hopes of reaching a buyout. After no deal could be reached, Walsh released a statement saying "After meeting with Stephon and his representative this afternoon, we have directed Stephon not to participate in practice or attend games until further notice. We want to continue to meet with him to discuss a long-term resolution."

Walsh also suspended Marbury for one game without pay and took away an additional game's salary for Marbury's refusal to play in a loss at Detroit.

After Marbury's meeting with Walsh, his built-in anger spilled over. According to ESPN.com writer Chris Sheridan, Marbury said "When things got bad and then worse, guys like Quentin Richardson say, 'I don't consider him a teammate. He let his teammates out to dry.' He didn't care I was his teammate when I was banished. They left me out for dead. It's like we're in a foxhole and I'm facing the other way. If I got shot in the head, at least you want to get shot by the enemy. I got shot in the head by my own guys in my foxhole. And they didn't even give me an honorable death."

Honorable death or not, Marbury did not help his situation in New York. He had run-ins long before D'Antoni became the Knicks head coach and its pains me to say that Marbury is a cancer on any team he's apart of. Donnie Walsh is still working on a buyout plan for Marbury and the Knicks are moving forward with their season. Currently the Knicks are coming off of a loss to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, placing their record at 8-10.

No one knows where Stephon Marbury will end up next. What we do know, is that Marbury is a consistent guard with very good numbers on the court, but he is plagued by his negative attitude. Maybe Marbury can one day change from being selfish to selfless, but until that day day comes, he will always be a distraction.

Be Peaceful

• Have you read my story "Showing "Flashes" Of Elite Status"? If you haven't I suggest you do. Dwayne Wade is back healthy and tearing up NBA opponents! The Robbins, IL native is averaging 28.4 ppg, 7.7 apg and he's shooting 50% from the field! Please re-read my story because I told you was back to an elite status.


• Please go to ESPN.com and read about or watch Wayman Tisdale's survival against cancer. Tisdale was a 12 year NBA player that averaged 15 points and 6 rebounds for his career. He is now a very successful smooth jazz bass guitarist, that was awarded the Legacy Tribute Award by the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame.